i did not realize benson owned the team for 37 years. just my reply scotty ro on your statement of one playoff win in 37 years. i could be wrong but i didnt think benson owned them the entire time. from what i remember reading is that the team has been more successful under benson than any other owner.

It's true enough that Benson did not own the team the whole time. 1 playoff win in 20 years isn't any better. 1 playoff appearance in the last 12 seasons is even more a travesty. Since '86 or so, the performance of the team peaked early and has been steadily declining ever since. He got four playoff appearances in 7 years and has since gone 12 with one more. All the while he has asked for more and more money, better and better deals.

Some more interesting facts on Benson and his attorney... Sound like a couple of standup guys to me.

Rosenberg
"But by the late 1980s, the real estate boom on which Rosenberg had helped build the firm's prestige went bust. In 1991, the firm announced Rosenberg was no longer a shareholder or full-time lawyer in the partnership. It was but one in a series of setbacks for Rosenberg, with two of his ventures filing for Chapter 11 and three of his business partners in ill-fated deals being convicted of felonies.

David Saks and Doyle Spruill were convicted for savings-and-loan fraud, and Connie "Chip" Armstrong was convicted of swindling companies of more than $60 million in a payroll tax scheme. Rosenberg faced no charges in either case. "http://www.nola.com/saints/t-p/index...1386658880.xml

So since 1991 Rosenberg has been removed as a partner and investor in his own firm, sent two other companies to chapter 11, and his partners were convicted of tax fraud totaling $60 million!! Oh yeah, he's trustworthy, and clearly a great businessman.

How about that poor poor Tom Benson?

"In the past 20 years, no NFL owner has put less of his own money into stadium costs.

Poor Tom Benson. He has the BEST subsidy of any NFL owner. He pays no rent and basically nothing in stadium up-keep. He gets tons of additional subsidies through parking at the Dome, concessions at the Dome, the state doesn't tax ticket sales, and the State has agreed to sell the naming rights of the Dome to pay Benson.... and his corporation can only afford to buy him a 122 foot yacht days after receiving direct state payments. You're right, he is just a businessman looking out for his interests. Sure seems like his $1.2 Billion offer wasn't total BS. Afterall, it did come from his tax-fraud attorney. And don't listen to what the San Antonio media and government officials are saying. They really do want Tom to move there. They have the money. And forget the fact that Tom Benson is the chair of the NFL finance committee. He doesn't really know anything about financing. He's just a poor ole businessman trying to do right by the State of LA by keeping his team there for the low-low rate of somewhere in the area of more than $737 million over the next 20 years, b/c he knows how important it is to us fans and the taxpayers. Give me a f---ing break.

I applaud WhoDat's efforts. But how can anyone possibly take Gov. Blanco's side?

Benson took a deal in good faith from then Gov. Mike Foster. It wasn't the deal Benson wanted, as Benson wanted a new stadium, but it is one he agreed to take.

Since that time Gov. Blanco asked Benson to renogotiate and give some of the money back. Benson had already counted on the money promised to him by the State. You just can't expect Benson to say ... "okay, here's the money back".

Keep in mind that Benson wasn't the one complaining and asking for anything. It was Gov. Blanco who called Benson up and started this whole process.

And, Blanco has treated Benson with so much disrespect. As the ol' sayin' goes ... you catch more flies with honey. Blanco is trying to catch flies with vinegar!! She comes across as rude and disrespectful.

Benson and the New Orleans Saints have a huge economic effect on New Orleans and the State of Louisiana. Without the Saints, there will be no more super bowls played in New Orleans. The money alone generated by all the superbowl would pay for a new stadium.

Benson is holding all the cards. Blanco, on the other hand is bluffing. All Blanco can do is piss off Tom Benson and make him sell the team to somone outside the state.

If Benson really wants to cash in a live the rich live, he should sell the Saints. That's what a greedy bastard would do. And that's probably what some of the Benson's critics deserve. Benson deserves a little more respect than that.

If Benson really wants to cash in a live the rich live, he should sell the Saints. That's what a greedy bastard would do. And that's probably what some of the Benson's critics deserve. Benson deserves a little more respect than that.

The likelihood is that at least for the foreseeable future Benson will be able to seel the team for the current value. So, the greedy owner wouldn't sell now. The greedy owner would continue to line his pockets with the state's money for the next several years and then sell or move or whatever.

You've said yourself, VooDoo, that Benson doesn't need the state's money to be rich so he shouldn't need to sell the team to live the rich life.

My problem with this whole thing is that even though Benson is getting this money to be "competitive" in the NFL, he hasn't been competetive, but rather he has been mediocre. Other than winning for pride sake, what does he have to motivate him to make the moves necessary to win? Every other owner must win to make money. Not tommy boy.

If Benson really wants to cash in a live the rich live, he should sell the Saints. That's what a greedy bastard would do. And that's probably what some of the Benson's critics deserve. Benson deserves a little more respect than that.

The likelihood is that at least for the foreseeable future Benson will be able to seel the team for the current value. So, the greedy owner wouldn't sell now. The greedy owner would continue to line his pockets with the state's money for the next several years and then sell or move or whatever.

You've said yourself, VooDoo, that Benson doesn't need the state's money to be rich so he shouldn't need to sell the team to live the rich life.

My problem with this whole thing is that even though Benson is getting this money to be "competitive" in the NFL, he hasn't been competetive, but rather he has been mediocre. Other than winning for pride sake, what does he have to motivate him to make the moves necessary to win? Every other owner must win to make money. Not tommy boy.

Hey, winning and losing has nothing to do with anything. Benson doesn't force you or anyone else to buy his lousy product. You do that, Scotty, of your own free will. Don't blame Benson.

It's pretty obvious to me that "greed" isn't Benson's motive. Benson is an old man with not much longer to live. Maybe he just wants to create a legacy by having a new stadium built.

I think fans are dumping on Benson because of the lack of success on the field. Benson has spent the money it just hasn't worked out.

Keep on not supporting Benson and you may not have a team to root for in the future.

How Benson got to be the villian in this deal is beyond me. The sorry State fo Louisiana needs to put some of that money towards something constuctive. For a broke state ... Louisiana sure does waste a bunch of money. And sometimes they don't even know how much money they have. Louisiana is a terrible place to do business. And Blanco, IMHO, is making it much worse!!

benson just wants what is best for benson and will take it no moatter where the team is.. he has been holding this state hostage for years over this crap.... let the team go to NM and lets see just how great that would be for him.....i cant believe he hasnt given up the riens yet, guess we will have to wait until the unevitable happens before he releases his hands from around the states throat....

Winning and losing has everything to do with it. No, I am not forced to buy the product, but I do after being promised a certain performance level - which is rarely attained. Thus, I have a right to complain about the product. What's more is that Benson has asked for this money to be more competitive, but his team hasn't been so. In fact, the Saints have only gotten worse since he initially asked for it following the 2000 season. I've suspected for a while that he intentionally mjisleads with words like "more competitive" because we think he means on the field when the truth is that he means on paper - as in his total revenue versus the other owners.

The problem again is that he has less motivation for winning because he is being subsidized whether or not he wins. The proof is in the FO. He continues to employ a bean counter as GM - disregarding the team's need for a solid GM. He has continued to employ Haslet even after Haslet's teams have gone 4 years since making the playoffs and have looked horrible at points during each of those seasons.

Lastly,

Keep on not supporting Benson and you may not have a team to root for in the future.

This is the exact sort of propaganda he wants us to believe. Ignore the fact that it's a poor deal and just pay the money because the mighty Tom Benson might move the team. Yeah, I'm shaking in my boots. He's not moving the team anywhere unless the state breaches the contract. Even then he might only sue for breach and liquidated damages and stay where he is. No, that one is not working on me.